Final Suspect Sentenced to 86 Months in Virginia Pawn Shop Gun Burglary

ROANOKE, Virginia — The final suspect involved in a high-profile 2022 pawn shop burglary and gun heist has been sentenced to federal prison, bringing a close to a multi-year federal and local investigation in Southwest Virginia.

Austin Hixon was sentenced in a Roanoke federal court to 86 months (approximately seven years and two months) in prison. He had previously entered guilty pleas to charges of possessing stolen firearms and committing perjury during the grand jury investigation.

Stolen Firearms Traded for Methamphetamine

The federal charges against Hixon stem from an incident on November 1, 2022, when he and four co-conspirators broke into '1st Pawn,' a pawn shop in the Roanoke area. During the burglary, the group stole 15 firearms, including handguns and rifles, creating an immediate danger to the surrounding community. Law enforcement agencies launched a massive search for the weapons, eventually tracing three of the stolen firearms to Hixon’s residence in Christiansburg, Virginia.

When questioned by federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Hixon lied under oath, claiming he had thrown the guns into the nearby New River to get rid of them. However, federal investigators eventually uncovered that Hixon had actually sold or traded the weapons to local drug dealers in exchange for methamphetamine. This perjury led to the additional federal charge that increased his prison sentence.

All Five Co-conspirators Sentenced

Hixon’s sentencing marks the final chapter in the prosecution of the five individuals involved in the heist. The other four co-defendants—including Ronald Perry, Justin Cumbee, and Malcolm Stanton—had previously pleaded guilty and received sentences of 10 years (120 months) in federal prison for their roles in the burglary and the illegal distribution of firearms to convicted felons. Federal prosecutors emphasized that the recovery of the stolen weapons remains a priority, as several of the firearms are still unaccounted for in the region.